Support and display rack for roll material



NOV. 8, 1932. KNlTTLE 1,881,269

SUPPORT AND DISPLAY RACK FOR ROLL MATERIAL Filed Oct. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q 1932- R. H. KNITTLE SUPPORT AND DISPLAY RACK FOR ROLL MATERIAL Filed 001;. 16, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mT lm Patented Nov. 8, 1932 PATENTOFF'ICE v ROBERT E. KNIT'ILE, or roar cannon, PENNSYLVANIA surronr AND DISPLAY RACK non norm MATERIAL:

Application filed October 16, 1930. Serial No. 489,154;

This invention relates to display devices and pertains particularly to a device for supporting rolled material such, for example, as linoleum or rugs. i

5 The primary object of the present invention is to provide asupporting and display rack for linoleum, rugs or any other similar material, by means of which the rolls thereof may be maintained in upright position so 1 that the articleor apart thereof may be unrolled as necessary, either for the display of the article or,\if the supported article be a roll of linoleum, so that a portion thereof may be cut oil.

5 Another object of the invention is to pro vide a display rack for roll materialupon which the material may be easily set up and shifted about;

A still further object of the invention is to provide a supporting display rack for roll material having associated therewith means whereby the edge of the material will bev 7 held firmly against the body of theroll so that the roll will not become loose or unwind and the free edge will not sag and get out of shape. Other'objects and advantages, of the pres ent invention will'become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the acco1npanying drawings formingpart of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing. of the drawings but may bechanged or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark 40 no material departure from the" salient features of the invention as expressedin the appended claims. s In the drawings: 7 Figure 1 is a view showing the use ofone form of the device embodyingthe present invention for supporting a linoleum roll in its crate. Y v

. Figure 2 is a view in side elevation ofa modified form of thedevice shown supporting a linoleum roll on end.

FigureB is a sectional viewtaken on the line-33 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4: is a verticall sectional .view through a modified form of the base structure shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a View partly in section and. partly in side elevation of afurther modified form of the present in ention showing the same 1n use. i g

Figure 6 illustratesa modified form of the base structure shown inFigure 5*to permit rotation thereof, 7 i

Figure 7 shows a further modificationof the base structure shown in Figure 5 to per mit ofits being rotated. V I

Figure 8 is a view intop plan of a support for a series of roll holders of the character illustrated in Figure 2. i i V Figure 9 illustrates'in side elevation the support shown in Figure 8. 1 i

*Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the. several views, Figure 1 illustrates the manner in which the structure embodying the present invention may be employed for sup-. porting rolls of linoleum or similar floor covering or other roll material in the crate in which it is shipped to the retailer. The r box or crate inwhich roll of material is 30 shipped is indicated by the numeral 1 while the roll therein 'is indicated by the numeral 2. For supporting the roll inupright position in the shipping crate so that it maybe readily unrolled in order to sell a part thereof, there is provided a supporting structure which is indicated generally by the numeral 3 and which comprises upper and lower plates 4 andi5, the opposed faces of which are provided with ball races inwhich are placed bearing balls 7. The lower one of theseplates carries a post" 8 upon its center which extends upwardlythrough the upper plate in the manner shown and the upper plate has mounted thereon concentric with the post a cone 9 Inthe upper end of the box or crate there is secured in any suitablemanner a plate 10 which carries a cone lln In mounting the roll 2 in the crate upon-the supporting structure one lsideof thecrate is removed and the roll of linoleum is taken out. i The cone 11 is then placed in the upper end of the roll while the lower cone 9 with the post 8 is inserted in the lower end of the roll and the plates 4 and 5 held against the end of the roll in the position which they will assume when in the crate. The crate is then placed back over the roll and there is then inserted through the top end of the crate, through a suitable hole which may be made therein, a pin or bolt 12 which is extended through a passage formed through the plate 10 and the cone 11. The crate containing the linoleum roll may then be raised to the upright position shown so that the plate 4 will support it upon the'bearing balls 7 and the bottom plate 5 in such a manner that it may be readily rotated to remove a part of the linoleum as desired.

An improved form of the structure shown in Figure 1 may be provided for supporting a roll exteriorly of the packing case, as

illustrated in Figures 2 to 4. In this modified form of the structure the lower one of the two roll supporting plates, which is here indicated by the numeral 13, is placed directly upon the fioor adjacent a wall, the wall being indicated by the numeral 14. The upper plate15 is disposed over the lower plate and supported by bearing balls 16 interposed between it and the lower plate and lying in suitable raceways 17.

As in the previously described construction the plate 13 carries a central upright post 18 which passes upwardly therefrom. through a flanged collar 19. This collar'19. extends through a central aperture 20 in the upper plate 15 and the flange 21 thereof overlies a retaining flange 22 forming an integral'part .of the plate 15. This flanged collar 19 is secured in any suitable manner to the plate 13 so that, as will be readily seen, while the upper plate 15 is permitted to rotate freely it cannot be lifted away from the lower plate.

Carried by the upperplate 15 and concentric therewith is a centrally apertured center'- ing cone 23 through which the post 18 extends. This cone serves to center the roll of material 24 upon the rotating supporting platform.

The lower platform 13 has an integral rearward extension 25 in which is mounted an upright arm or post 26; At the upper end of the post 26 there is mounted thereon an arm 27, the free end of which is formed to provide the spaced parallel arms 28 between which is mounted upon a pivot pin 29, a roller 30 which is preferably formed of rubber.

Surrounding the post 26 beneath the arm 27 i is a spring 31, one, end of which is secured to the post while the other end is attached to the arm so that the arm will be normally urged thereby to swing toward theroll 24 mounted on the revolving platform to bring the rub- 'ber roller 30 into contact therewith. For use in association with the rotating roll carrying platform which is mounted'upon the floor, there is provided an upper arm 32 which, at one end, is formed to provide the plate 33 upon the face of which the dove-tail rib 34 is formed. This rib is designed for engagementin a similarly formed groove 35 in a supporting plate 36 which is secured to the the adjacent roll 24 by the spring 42 which surrounds the post and has one end secured thereto and the other end secured to the arm, the same as the spring 31. This arm 41, like the arm 27, has its free'end formed to provide the spaced parallel members 43 between which is mounted. a rubber roll 44 upon a pivot pin From the description given it will be readily seen that with the structure just described rolls of linoleum 'or other material may be securely held in upright position and in such a manner that they maybe readily rotated to permit removal of a part thereof. The rollers 30 and 44, being pressed firmly against the body of the roll of material, act to hold the edge thereof so that it will not sag and become misshapen. V

In some instances it is desirable that the supporting plates 13 and 15 be mounted so that they can be readily moved about after the roll of material has been placed thereon. For this purpose I provide a structure, such as is shown in Figure 4, wherein the lower one of theplates is mounted upon suitable rollers 46 and this plate is also provided with a pivotally attached handle 47 which may be employed as a means for holding the device against movement as well as for facilitating the shifting of the device.

In order to use the handle 47 as a holding element it is made of such a size or length that it may be swung down into firm engagement with the underlying floor surface so that it will wedge between thefloor and the plate 13 to which it is attached and thus hold the plate against movement. .7 V

In Figure 5 there is illustrated a still further modification of my invention devised for use as a battery of supports for rugs or similar artlcles which do not have to be rotated as in the .case of .the linoleum roll and lower plates 48 and 49 respectively, each of which is surrounded by a flange 50 and each has formed integral therewith at the central portion thereof a cone 51. The lower plate 49 may be attached to the floor surface by means of a suitable screw or bolt 52 passed .throughthe center thereof, while the upper rounds the bolt 53 and normally urges the plate 48 downwardly. In order to place a roll of material or a rolled rug in position on this modified form of holder the upper end of the roll is placed against the upper plate 48 and is lifted 'so as to force the plate upwardly against the spring 55. The lower end of the roll is then swung in until it is in position wherethe'cone 51 will enter the lower end thereof whereupon it may be lowered and the top plate will be forced down firmly thereagainst to hold it in position.

It will, of course, be readily understood that the lower plate 49 of the modified structure just described may be rotatably mounted if it is found desirable.

through the cone 51 formed in the center thereof, the lower part ofthis pin having a base 57 which may be secured'to the floor and upon which the plate may rest. While it has oscillatably supported in horizontal position not been shown it will of course be readily understood that suitable bearing balls may be interposed between the plate and the base 57 so as to make rotation thereof easier.

In Figure 8 there is illustrated a method of mounting a series of theroll holding-devices about a central'supporting post; The devices carried by this post may be of the character illustrated in Figure 2 and indicated by the numeral 32, with the floor portion thereof illustrated in combination therewith or they may be of the character illustrated in Figure 5 and indicated by the numeral 48 with the associate floor portions shown. In this structure there is provided a main support post58 secured in a suitable collar 59 which in turn is secured by means of the integral base flange 60 and screws 61 to'the floor.

The upper endv of this post 58 carries a head plate'62 which may be of any desired 7 polygonal contour as, for example, it may be square, hexagonal or octagonal, and each'of the faces thereof'may have secured thereto an arm such, for example, asthe arm 32 or an arm for the support of a pin and plate such, for example, as the pin and plate 56 and 48, as previously described. For the purpose of illustration there has been shown attached to the head piece one of the arms 32.

From the foregoing description it willbe readily seen that with a; numberof the structures herein described a store may mount in a convenient manner any number of rolls of linoleum or rolledrugs and, in the case of linoleum, the rolls may be readily rotated so that portionsthereof may be cut off for sale or ma be. drawn out to afford dis la.

Having thus described my. invention, what I claimis: V

1. -A material roll support comprising a base unit having'a top and a bottom plate, 'a' vertical pinmember carried by said bottom plate, a vertically disposed centrally aperturedcone'body arranged centrally upon the:

upper plate and having said'pin extended therethrough, anti-friction elements inter posed between said plates, said bottom plate having a portion extended beyondthe upper plate,a post supported by and vertically disposed on said extended portion, a roller carry ing arm oscillatably m'ountedin horizontal position upon'saidpost for the engagement of a body on said upper plate, a top unit comprising an. arm, means for-securing one end of said arm to a fixed support, apivot pin carriedat the other end ofsaid lastarm in vertical alignment with said'first m'en-.

tioned pin, a post securedat one end to said last arm for extension downwardly therefrom when the said arm is in operative position,

and .a spring pressedroller carrying arm upon said last post for engagingv a body disposed between said pins.

12. A structure for supporting rolls of material on end, comprising an upper and a lower unit, said lowerunit consisting'of two plates, one disposed over the other and have ing anti-friction means interposed therebetween, a central pin carried by the lower of said plates and extending upwardly through the upper plate, a centering cone carried by the upper plate and having the pin passing therethrough, a relatively short post disposed vertically besidethe said upper plate, an arm oscillatablyattached at one end to said post and substantially horizontally disposed, the other end of said arm'carrying a roller,spring means normally urging the rollerend of the arm toward the vertical center of said pin, a main supporting postrhaving an element upon its upper end provided with a dove-tail first pin, a downwardly directed cone carried by'said second pin and rotatable about the axial center thereof, a second short postsecured at one end'to said last arm and adapted to extend downwardly therefrom, a second roller carrying arm oscillatably attached. at one end to saidlast post, a roller carried: at the other end of said last arm, and spring means normally urging the rolle'rend or said last arm in a direction to engage a'material roll positioned between-the pins. 1 I 3. In a roll material supportingstructure j a pair of plate members disposed one over, the other, anti-friction means interposed be 7 I tween said plate, a vertically disposed cen,

plate, said central aperture being intwo: con-.1

tral pin fixed in said lower plate and'extendg; Q5 j 1 ing through acentral aperture in the-:u p r;-;j H

centric portions, the lower portionbeing of. I g 7 less diameter than the upperwportiom'a nut j I member threaded onto said pin and having. a laterally projecting surrounding flange at its top adapted to fit into thetup perlarger portion of said aperture, the part of the nutbelow the flange being extended'throughthe smaller portion of the aperture, and'avcone surrounding the upper end offsaid pin'forc' extension into the lower end ofthe material roll. 4: A 1

4. A material roll support, 'comprisinga base unit having .an upper and lower plate, means for rotatably supporting the upperplateupon the lower plate, a cent'eringpincarriedv by the lower plate. and extending upwardly through the upper plate for; exa tension into a roll of material disposed -on I end on the upper plate, and a top unit com-' prising a body having a recess inone face.

thereof and adaptedto be secured toia fi'xcl",

support, an arm formed atio'ne end for-de 40 tained in horizontally extended position from said body, a pin member carriedjat the-other end of said arm to extend downwardly-toward said first mentionedpinv for coaction therewith inmaintaining alroll Tofmaterial '45 in upright position upon the upper plate of i said base unit, a post secured at one end to said arm to extend downwardly therefrom when the same is mounted in position, a spring pressed arm oscillatably mounted'upon said post and adapted to engage a roll of material adjacent thereto, a second post disposed Vertically upon said ba seplate, and a second spring pressed arm oscillatab lylmount ed at one end upon said second post and a adapted to engage the roll of material with its other end. i

- In testimony whereof I hereunto afi'i'x my signature. v v

7 f ROBERT H. KNITTLE taehable engagement in said recessto be-niai-nr f up 

